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What causes a recession?Choreographed by Pilobolus dance company and narrated by economic historian John Steele Gordon, Lee Hirsch’s “Recession” mounts an entertaining and educational look at what causes an economic recession and how recovery is stimulated.

Lee Hirsch

Known for creating change through his documentaries, LEE HIRSCH’s critically acclaimed debut feature, “Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony,” won the Sundance Film Festival Audience and Freedom of Expression Awards, and one of the five Emmy Awards it was nominated for, among many other honors.
For his most recent film, “Bully,” Hirsch was inspired by his experiences being bullied throughout his childhood. “Bully” was released in over 33 countries and garnered the prestigious Columbia School of Journalism DuPont Award and the Producers Guild of America’s Stanley Kramer Award for igniting social change. The film has been screened at the White House, U.S. Congress and for Ministers of Education globally.
Hirsch launched The Bully Project, a social action campaign to leverage the power of the film to inspire parents, educators and students around the globe. In partnership with various corporations, foundations and educators, The Bully Project highlights solutions that both address immediate needs and lead to systemic change that can improve school climate and promote social and emotional learning. So far over 2,000,000 kids have seen the film for free.
Hirsch has taken to the stage as a keynote speaker for Allstate Insurance, Adobe, The U.S. Conference of Mayors, The American Federation of Teachers and various colleges and universities. Highlights include a talk for 15,000 people in Mexico City for The Carlos Slim Foundation and for the L.A. fund at the Nokia Theater for over 6,500 students.
In 2007, Hirsch produced and directed the critically acclaimed History Channel special, “Act of Honor.” He attended Hampshire College.

Director's Note

"As I began doing research for this film, I had the opportunity to talk about the economy with some insanely smart people. That’s when I realized there are no hard rules for what happens during a recession, it’s all shades of grey. Since this isn't a black-and-white issue, I was inspired to film ‘in the shadows’, if you will.

I was incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to collaborate my vision with the help of the amazing dance company, Pilobolus, and economic advisor John Steele Gordon. I really wanted to dive into the human side of the story - the psychology of human emotion behind a recession -- and it turned into these wonderful characters who ultimately duke it out together until their triumphant finale. It was a pure thrill to shoot in shadows and through that hopefully bring to light some realities we're exploring in this series.”

Quiz

How do we define a recession? What has to happen?

The price of oil jumps by 10%

The stock market loses more than 10% of value

Loan rates exceed 5%

At least two consecutive quarters of decline in a country's gross domestic product (GDP)

Though other indicators can contribute to determining when a recession has begun, it is generally agreed that when there are two consecutive quarters of economic decline in the Gross Domestic Product, a recession has occurred. This idea was first proposed by Julius Shiskin in a New York Times article in 1975.